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Thursday 04 Apr 2024
McComb's Coach Travel Intermediate Cup | Semi-finals recap

The McComb's Coach Travel Intermediate Cup decider will be an all Northern Amateur League affair after Crumlin Star and Immaculata defeated NIFL opposition in Wednesday night's semi-finals.

Holders Crumlin Star booked their place with victory over Queen's University by the odd goal in five at Clandeboye Park, while Immaculata swept past Ballymacash Rangers at the Blanchflower Stadium.

Scoreless at the break, The Mac hit 'Cash with three goals either side of the hour to kill the game off in style.

Brian McCaul opened the scoring on 56 minutes when he sent Brian Neeson the wrong way from the spot, awarded after Mark Drysdale brought down Brian Kennedy on the edge of the area.

Man of the Match Brendan Shannon then followed up four minutes after that with a stunning finish from around 12 yards when he turned after receiving the ball from Dylan Snoddon to fire into the roof of the net in off the underside of the bar.

Rangers did have the ball in the net soon after when Benny Igiehon directed a header from Carl McComb's cross into the net, but this was ruled out by the officials.

And, as if to rub salt in their wounds, Immaculata went down the other end for Kennedy to take the ball past Drysdale and knock home a third from the tightest of angles.

'Cash did finally pull one back through Igiehon's back heel from Jordon Morrison's knock down with ten minutes remaining but it proved to be too little, too late to spark any sort of comeback.

Meanwhile, in Bangor, ten-man Crumlin Star twice came from behind to get past Queen's University in what was a repeat of the 2018/19 final.

The Students moved in front as early as the 11th minute through Mikey Withers, but Star hit back eight minutes later when David Fearon knocked the ball beyond Nathan Kerr.

Withers restored QUB's lead midway through the first half, and it got worse for Star with Niall Hawkin's dismissal for serious foul play just a couple of minutes after that.

But they hit back once more in the fifth minute of first half stoppage time when Kevin Lynch struck to bring the defending champions back onto level terms.

Obviously buoyed by this, Paul Trainor's side came storming out of the block after the break and moved in front for the first time moments into the second half courtesy of Aidan Lillis' finish, a lead they held to continue their quest to lift the trophy for the third time in five years.

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